Humidity control devices for conditioning the humidity of air by means of adsorbent-containing adsorptive elements are known in the conventional technology (see for example JP, 1998-9633, A). This patent gazette discloses a humidity control device which is provided with two adsorptive elements and which performs a batch operation as described below. The humidity control device further includes a refrigerant circuit which conducts a refrigeration cycle.
Each adsorptive element adsorbs moisture in a first air stream so that the first air stream is dehumidified, and is regenerated by releasing moisture to a second air stream. And, the humidity control device is configured to carry out a batch running operation, in other words the operation of the humidity control device is alternately switched between a first operation and a second operation. In the first operation, a first air stream is dehumidified in the first adsorptive element while on the other hand the second adsorptive element is regenerated by a second air stream. In the second operation, the first adsorptive element is regenerated by a second air stream while on the other hand a first air stream is dehumidified in the second adsorptive element. As a result of such arrangement, the humidity control device continuously supplies either a stream of dehumidified air (i.e., a first air stream) or a stream of humidified air (a second air stream) into an indoor space.
For example, during the dehumidification operating mode, a first air stream is dehumidified in one adsorptive element. Thereafter, the first air stream is cooled in an evaporator of the refrigerant circuit. The first air stream is then supplied into the room. At this time, a second air stream is heated in a condenser of the refrigerant circuit. The second air stream is then supplied to the other adsorptive element. This causes the adsorptive element in receipt of the high-temperature second air stream to desorb moisture therefrom and, as a result, the adsorptive element is regenerated.
If a first air stream is dehumidified and is then supplied into the room, this provides dehumidification. At this time, a second air stream is humidified, so that if, instead of supplying a first air stream into the room, such a second air stream is supplied into the room, this provides humidification.